My bank has been purchased, for about the fifth time. Currently it is called “Bank of America.” None of the previous changes of ownership or name bothered me but this time the new color scheme came with “no dogs allowed” signs in the front of every branch office. I’m not sure that I can stomach 0.2% interest if I can’t have a dog at my side to provide some comfort as inflation and corporate looters erode my turbine-powered helicopter fund. Anyone have a suggestion for a dog-friendly bank in the Boston area?
21 thoughts on “Boston-area bank suggestion? (Bank of America is not dog-friendly)”
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Is there a reason you need to go to a branch office? I switched from Bank of America to ETrade. They pay the postage on the mail-in deposit envelopes and the first $6 a month in ATM charges from using non-ETrade ATMs.
Why would you ever need to set foot in an office? I can’t remember the last time I did–all of my deposits are done at a BOA ATM, whether drive-up or walk-up. I do online banking for my account balances, online bill paying, etc. Even my personal banker is available by phone and will courier documents to me if I need them.
Seriously…the only times I’ve been inside a branch of my bank since I opened the account were when I needed more than $300 in cash in less time than it’d take to withdraw from ATMs at $300/day. That amounts to twice in three years. Not living in Boston I have no opinion of Boston banks, but I really don’t see why the “no dogs in the branches” policy would actually affect you on anything like a regular basis.
Folks: The Bank of America ATMs in Harvard Square are inside the bank, which is now a no-dog zone. I do go in to deal with the humans about 6 times per year either to get $100 bills before a trip or to get something notarized. It might seem like a small issue but I’m not sure that BofA is so fabulous. Their online banking system only keeps 90 days worth of data so it is hard to figure out what you spent at tax time. And the interest paid is minimal compared to Orange Savings or Met Life (which don’t have checking accounts, I don’t think).
I hate Ban of Am! I just wrote a whole entry on why:
http://weblogs.livingreflections.com/001919.php
You should say your dog is a seeing eye dog. They can’t keep those out.
Good luck.
I’m sorry to report that it’s not just the Cambridge offices! Some of the offices / ATMs downtown have the same sign! Thankfully the ones in Brookline (that I do visit with my dog) do not (yet) have them and no one’s complained once about the dog being with me. Can’t get away with the seeing eye dog trick since mine’s less then 10 lbs. . . 🙂
as i wrote to amy, i recommend wainwright to just about anyone. i’m not sure about their dog policy, but i’d be surprised if they gave you any trouble. in general, they are very friendly, nice and local. say NO to big banks! wainwrightbank.com
wainwright, please contact me asap so we can work out some sort of referral deal, ok?
I put your question to the BostonDogs yahoo group and got an answer of “Citizens” from three different members.
The Citizens branches in this area even stock dog biscuits. I also remember a Citizens Bank brochure on safe ATM use that had a person with their dog on the cover and said to bring a friend with you to visit the ATM.
Cambridge Trust Co — each teller has a basket of milk bones! Roxanne esp. love the huron ave branch. Why would you go any where else?
Who keeps more than 90 days of data online? You need to get the paper statements if you want tax data.
My parents had this saying that dates back to the 50’s and 60’s. “Love me, love my dog.” It seems to me that business is busines and friendship is seperate. I suggest you find a bank that meets your financial needs and if you need to go to a branch, leave the dog at home or with a friend. “Always emotion is the future.” -Yoda
While I can see the appeal behind saying that a dog is an assistance dog, this really does a disservice to people who do use assistance dogs. It’s true that service animals are allowed nearly anywhere, and it’s illegal to require that they be wearing identification or a vest and also illegal to ask the person what type of disability they have and/or what purpose the animal serves. So this means that, yes, it would be easy to get away with saying an animal, including a small dog, is a service animal, as these actually are used in limited applications as service animals. However, when people whose pet isn’t an assistance dog represent it as one and then they allow people to pet the dog, talk to it, give it treats etc., then the public gets the impression that it’s acceptable to socialize with an assistance dog. It’s considered disrespectful to socialize with an assitance animal, both out of respect for the person using it and also so as not to distract the animal from its work (which may or may not be obvious depending on the person’s disability.) Also, assistance animals go through very stringent training and only the very top of the class is chosen for this work. They are trained extremely well to ignore their animal instincts while working. Even a well-trained pet might do something like paw at furniture or sniff people inside a business, which would then give people viewing this a negative impression of service animals. Please do not tell people your pet is a service animal or encourage others to do so. While people can indeed choose only to patronize businesses that allow pets, there is not a reason that anyone needs to have their pet with them, while there are reasons that people may not be able to be independent in the community without their service animal.
I tie my dog to the sign in front of the bank and go in and do my banking. I don’t know if I can bring my dog in the bank because it never occurred to me to ask.
There’s a lot of crazy pepole in the world and their craziness is usually reflected in the way the deal with their animals. Consider the kind of person who wants to have the baddest and meanest dog in the neighborhood. He gets a pit bull or rottweiler and makes sure the dog stays scary. You really want him in line next to you at the bank? How about when your in line with a seven year old?
If dogs are permitted in public places, each customer gained will be more than offset by customers displeased with such a policy.
I love dogs, but many dog owners frequently are presumptious and assume the world should bend to their suiting. I’ve about had enough of folks whose dogs use everybody else’s yard as litterbox, or the public park, or aggressive dogs unleashed that are nipping on your heels on a jogging track. Everybody’s dog is always well behaved it seems, ’til that one freak occurence where he/she goes off on an unsuspecting child or adult.
Of course, this does not apply to those who need the service of “assistant dogs”.
Brookline Bank is very dog and human friendly. They know my dog by name and shower him with affection which he gladly returns. For those folks who think it’s better to tie dogs up outside, please know that dogsa re companion animals – all dogs will be better behaved and more confident around their companions/owner therefore it makes more sense to permit them into establishments than it does to force them to be tied outside like dirty laundry. Unlike runny-nosed kids and coughing adults, dogs cannot spread diseases. They remind us to laugh out loud every single day and give so much more than they could ever take.
Smart businesses let well behaved dogs in. The owner bears liability concerns if anything happens and most owners know their dogs well enough to know what situations will be too stressful for them. My dog takes the T regularly and speards love and affection to tons of people. He stays away form those who are allergic and fearful (but a lot of those folks realize that many dogs are sweet once they see him sidling up and snuggling with total strangers.)
I’ve gotten one of my dogs certified as a Therapy Dog. He has the same rights as any other assistance dog and may be petted in public to boot. He is calm, well trained, and friendly in a reserved way.
I have found that most small banks are friendlier and happy to have well behaved dogs inside. The tellers at my Citizens’ Bank even come from behind the counter to cuddle with my dog.
No dog service is the least of your worries. This new bank is horrible.
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Veri nice site!
nice to be seen
Your post was quoted in the Boston Globe today. Glad to see the Boston area getting more dog-friendly, one institution/one industry at a time.
Strummer, my standard poodle, has always been welcome at Cambridge Trust Company (I bank at the Harvard Square branch, and the first time I brought her in the security guard gave her a biscuit). Strummer also came with me when I opened an account for the Somerville Dog Owners Group at Sovereign Bank in Davis Square and was offered treats by the representative who helped me open the account. The new branch in Harvard Square has welcomed her as well.